CSI: Climate Status Investigations
LESSON PLAN: JN
CONTENT AREA: Biology
I
UNIT TITLE:
LESSON TITLE:
SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
CA STANDARD
CONCEPT
STATEMENT(S)
STUDENT
OBJECTIVE(S)
KEY VOCABULARY
Cell Biology
Terrestrial Sequestration
GRADE LEVEL:7th
DURATION: 2 class periods
Students will use phenol red as an indicator to determine whether
CO2 is being consumed or produced during this activity. We know
that plants perform photosynthesis in the presence of light. They
also perform cellular respiration.
Photosynthesis is a biochemical process in which plants, algae,
and some bacteria harness the energy of light to produce food.
Ultimately, nearly all living things depend on energy produced from
photosynthesis for their nourishment, making it vital to life on Earth.
It is also responsible for producing the oxygen that makes up a
large portion of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Cellular respiration allows organisms to use (release) the energy
stored in glucose. The energy in glucose is first used to produce
ATP. Cells use ATP to supply their energy needs. Cellular
respiration is therefore a process in which the energy in glucose is
transferred to ATP.
Elodea is an aquatic plant that will take up carbon dioxide from the
water during photosynthesis, raising the ph level and release
carbon dioxide into the water when respiring, lowering the ph.
When Elodea is exposed to light it will begin photosynthesizing
removing carbon dioxide from the solution. Respiration of the plant
is constant, since the plant always needs energy.
1. d. Students know that mitochondria liberate energy for the
work that cells do and that chloroplasts capture sunlight
energy for photosynthesis.
3. e. Students know that extinction of a species occurs when
the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a
species are insufficient for its survival.
Terrestrial Sequestration is the removal of CO2 emission through
cellular processes.
TSWBAT….
 Observe the differences between photosynthesis and
cellular respiration
 Observe the links due to climate changes
 Relate how climate change affects their lives
Terrestrial Sequestration
Emissions
Phenol red
pH
respiration
photosynthesis
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
TECHNOLOGY
THREAD
acidic
basic
elodea
Have a free write at the beginning of class on what the students
think sustainability is and from what they learned about
photosynthesis, would plants be able to help the climate change.
Develop one or two questions that might be included in the
summative assessment or Unit Test related to this lesson
Will need a computer and hook up to projector – will go through
interactive video as a class to look at the different methods of
sequestration
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/carbon-sink.html
TEACHER PREPARATION
MATERIALS
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ADVANCE
PREPARATION
SAFETY
CONSIDERATI
ONS
ACCOMMODAT
IONS (ELL,
GATE, Special
Needs)
6 test tubes
2 test tube racks
6 rubber stoppers
1 250ml beaker
150ml of phenol red
plant leaves (aquatic plant – Elodea)
CO2 generator (250 mL flask with rubber stopper and
tubing)
baking soda
vinegar
lamp
microspoon spatula
30 copies of Terrestrial Sequestration – Student Sheet
Make phenol red concentration
Buy Elodea
When the students put together the CO2 generator. Go over
glass safety and stoppers
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Lesson Component
Gain Attention
Teacher Does
Anticipatory Set:
I am not sure how to start this
one.
Maybe have a picture of a
glacier back from 1950’s
compared to one now on the
overhead.
Student Does
What will be the student expected
reaction/response?
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
Main
Presentation
Elicit Student
Performance
I don’t want to scare my
students though.
Day 1
Have students pair-share their
free writes
Open up to a class discussion
Go through interactive video
Ask for questions
Go over lab write and
procedure
Day 2
Start class with quick review
Have students begin lab
Start Lab.
Have students work in groups
of 4 to work through elodea
lab.
During the lab, there will be a
lot of down time so I will need
to have a supplemental
assignment for the students to
work on while watching for
color change.
Provide Feedback Use the cup method again for
on Performance lab – green, yellow and red to
Note the student expected
responses to questions you may
ask in your presentation. This is
also a good section to annotate
AFTER you have taught the
lesson – it will be easier to judge
responses after you have taught
the lesson more thn once.
What will the students be doing?
Checking answers, reinforcing
correct procedures
check for understanding
Closure
Assessment/Eval
uation
APPLICATION/EXT
ENSIONS
REFERENCES
Go over the changes that
happened in each test tube.
Have a group discussion on
the importance of plants/forests
for carbon sequestration.
Look at other options for
carbon sequestration – ocean.
Students’ lab write up, mainly
the conclusion.
Use interactive notebook to
check for understanding .
Ask students how they would be able to change their CO2
emissions, In what ways would they be able to come up with a
solution for lowering CO2 emissions personally to internationally.
http://keystone.org/files/file/KeyCurriculum/MiddleSchoolFiles/S_Te
rrestrialSequestration.pdf
attached below
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
CROSSCURRICULAR
CONNECTIONS
What connections can you make to another discipline/content
area? For example: “The data collected here in this science
verification lab can be used in math for analysis of trends,
line/curve of best fit, regression analysis, etc.“ Remember that
when your students learn something that can be used or related to
another discipline it is a win-win situation for both sides.
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
Terrestrial Sequestration –
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Science
Goal: Students define key terms and link plant cellular functions based on
experimental data and observations.
Objectives: Students will …
 Observe the differences between photosynthesis and cellular respiration
 Observe the links due to climate changes
 Relate how climate change affects their lives
Materials (for each group):
 6 test tubes
 2 test tube racks
 6 rubber stoppers
 1 250ml beaker
 150ml of phenol red
 plant leaves (aquatic plant – Elodea)
 CO2 generator (250 mL flask with rubber stopper and tubing)
 baking soda
 vinegar
 lamp
 microspoon spatula
 30 copies of Terrestrial Sequestration – Student Sheet
Time Required: 45-60 minute class period
Standards Met: S1, S2, S3, S4
Procedure:
PREP
 Set up lab stations, enough to have no more than 4 students per group.
 Review background information.
 Make phenol red.
 Purchase Elodea (available online or at local pet stores).
IN CLASS
 Explain to students that they will be investigating the carbon cycle as it relates
to global climate change.
 Get students into groups of 3 or 4.
 Hand out Terrestrial Sequestration – Student Sheets.
 Review the background information.
 Review the student procedure and expectations.
 Circulate as students begin the lab.
 Students should continue to monitor the experiment, record data in the chart
and answer the questions. When comparing the color in the test tube, place in
front of a white background.
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
Assessment:
 Participation in the activity
 Completed Terrestrial Sequestration – Student Sheet
Terrestrial Sequestration –
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Teacher Background Information
Photosynthesis is a biochemical process in which plants, algae, and some bacteria
harness the energy of light to produce food. Ultimately, nearly all living things depend
on energy produced from photosynthesis for their nourishment, making it vital to life
on Earth. It is also responsible for producing the oxygen that makes up a large
portion of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Cellular respiration allows organisms to use (release) the energy stored in glucose.
The energy in glucose is first used to produce ATP. Cells use ATP to supply their
energy needs. Cellular respiration is therefore a process in which the energy in
glucose is transferred to ATP.
This Lab will use phenol red as an indicator to determine whether CO2 is being
consumed or produced during this activity. We know that plants perform
photosynthesis in the presence of light. They also perform cellular respiration. To
demonstrate this we will observe what happens in a light and dark environment as we
add Elodea to a test tube of acidic phenol red. We will observe any changes in CO2 by
using the ph indicator phenol red. Phenol red is a yellow color at a pH 6.4 or lower
and a red color at a pH of 8.2 or above.
Elodea is an aquatic plant that will take up carbon dioxide from the water during
photosynthesis, raising the ph level and release carbon dioxide into the water when
respiring, lowering the ph. When Elodea is exposed to light it will begin
photosynthesizing removing carbon dioxide from the solution. Respiration of the plant
is constant, since the plant always needs energy.
One problem you’ll encounter when studying respiration in plants is that in the
presence of sunlight they begin photosynthesis and this counteracts respiration. One
way to measure respiration is by placing the Elodea in the dark.
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
Terrestrial Sequestration– Student Sheet
Follow the steps below to successfully complete the lab.
Procedure:
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Place 3 test tubes in each test tube rack.
Fill the third test tube in each test tube rack ¾ full from the 150ml of phenol red (this will be
the constant), and put a rubber stopper on both test tubes.
Make a CO2 generator by filling the bottom of the 250ml flask with baking soda. Place the
two-hole rubber stopper (containing the plastic tubes and rubber tubing) on the flask and
slowing inject vinegar into the baking soda through the plastic tubing using a syringe. The
long rubber tubing is placed in the beaker containing the remaining phenol red. CO2 will
bubble through the solution turning the phenol red acidic. The color changes to orangeyellow. (The more acidic the phenol red, the longer it will take the Elodea plant to
absorb the CO2).
Submerge a sprig of Elodea completely into the first test tube in both test tube racks.
Fill the remaining 4 test tubes (including the ones with the Elodea) ¾ full with the acidic
phenol red solution that you just made using the CO2 generator.
Cover each test tube with a rubber stopper.
Each test tube rack should have 3 test tubes. The first test tube should contain the Elodea in
the acidic phenol red, the second contains just acidic phenol red, and the third is phenol red
(the constant).
Place one test tube rack (containing the 3 test tubes) under the light source.
Place the other test tube rack (containing the 3 test tubes) in the dark.
All test tubes should be sealed with rubber stoppers, aluminum foil, or parafilm to reduce
the reactions with the air.
In approximately 60 minutes, you’ll notice a color change.
Record the data on the chart and answer the question.
Hypothesis:
What do you think will happen when you place the aquatic plant, Elodea in acidic phenol red in a
light and dark environment for a period of 60 minutes?
________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Complete the Table
Phenol red with Elodea
In the Dark
Observations (color change)
CSI: Climate Status Investigations
In the Light
What did this experiment tell us about the role of plants in our environment?
WORKSHOP
COPY
Terrestrial Sequestration – Photosynthesis and
Cellular Respiration
Student Sheet
Follow the steps below to successfully complete the lab.
Procedure:










Place 3 test
tubes in each test tube rack.
Fill the third test tube in each test tube rack ¾ full from the 150ml of phenol red (this will be
the constant), and put a rubber stopper on both test tubes.
Make a CO2 generator by filling the bottom of the 250ml flask with baking soda. Place the
two-hole rubber stopper (containing the plastic tubes and rubber tubing) on the flask and
slowing inject vinegar into the baking soda through the plastic tubing using a syringe. The
long rubber tubing is placed in the beaker containing the remaining phenol red. CO2 will
bubble through the solution turning the phenol red acidic. The color changes to orangeyellow. (The more acidic the phenol red, the longer it will take the Elodea plant to
absorb the CO2).
Submerge a sprig of Elodea completely into the first test tube in both test tube racks.
Fill the remaining 4 test tubes (including the ones with the Elodea) ¾ full with the acidic
phenol red solution that you just made using the CO2 generator.
Cover each test tube with a rubber stopper.
Each test tube rack should have 3 test tubes. The first test tube should contain the Elodea in
the acidic phenol red, the second contains just acidic phenol red, and the third is phenol red
(the constant).
Place one test tube rack (containing the 3 test tubes) under the light source.
Place the other test tube rack (containing the 3 test tubes) in the dark.
All test tubes should be sealed with rubber stoppers, aluminum foil, or parafilm to reduce
the reactions with the air.
CSI: Climate Status Investigations


In approximately 60 minutes, you’ll notice a color change.
Record the data on the chart and answer the question.
WORKSHOP
COPY
Hypothesis:
What do you think will happen when you place the aquatic plant, Elodea in acidic phenol red in a
light and dark environment for a period of 60 minutes?
________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Complete the Table
Phenol red with Elodea
In the Dark
Observations (color change)
In the Light
What did this experiment tell us about the role of plants in our environment?